LR-based HopeLight Drabbles
by Cissmoll
Summary: Drabbles and ficlets about our favorite OTP based on the Lightning Returns universe. Not spoiler free. [No. 11] And so the world ends
1. Shooting Stars

**For hoperai week. Prompt: Space.**

"Does the sky look the same here as in the old world?" Lightning asked, staring up at the stars above them.

"No. Everything's different, actually. Different stars, different planets, different everything," Hope answered.

They were lying next to each other on a blanket in the garden outside their house, waiting for a meteor shower to begin. According to Hope, the shower was called "the Perseids" and was an annual thing on Earth. Lightning wasn't really that interested in astronomy, but she'd agreed to watch it with him anyway. Hope was excited enough for both of them.

It was the middle of August, and the night was unexpectedly chilly. Lightning shuddered, regretting not putting on a thicker sweater. Hope immediately pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her body.

"Cold?" he asked, moving his hand up and down her arm, trying to cause some warming friction.

"A little. But it's okay," Lightning said with a smile. She moved her head a little to the side, letting it rest in the crook of Hope's neck. "Tell me about them. The stars."

"What do you mean, 'the stars'? Like, all of them?"

"Yes. I like hearing you talk about stars."

Hope laughed and kissed the top of Lightning's head. "You'll definitely regret saying that."

Hope talked for hours, and Lightning didn't regret it even once. Hope had been studying astronomy ever since they came to Earth, and he already knew more about Earth's night sky than Lightning had ever known about the one in their old world.

Hope suddenly stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and pointed at the sky.

"Look, it's starting," he said just as another bright light crossed the sky.

"It's beautiful," Lightning said, a wide smile playing on her lips. Back in the old world, she'd never had time for things like stargazing. Back then, she'd never had time for love, either. _But here I am_, Lightning thought, _stargazing and in love_.

"The earthlings have this tradition – remember the fireworks of Bodhum?" Hope said, drawing circles on her arm with his thumb. "How people used to make a wish when they saw them? Apparently, the earthlings do the same thing when they see shooting stars."

"That's a nice tradition," Lightning said. She sank into her own thoughts for a moment, just watching the meteors light up the sky.

"I don't think I can come up with a single wish," she finally said. "Everything's just… perfect."

Hope moved his hands so he could grab her by the waist, and Lightning let out a tiny yelp as he placed her on top of him. "Now everything's perfect," he said, grinning smugly.

"Shit, Hope, I'm heavy," Lightning protested, trying to roll off him.

"No, you're not," Hope answered, wrapping his arms around her to hold her in place.

"I'll crush you."

"No, you won't," Hope said, still grinning at her. "Without all that armor you used to wear, you're actually pretty tiny."

Lightning shook her head, unable to hide her smile. "Shut up," she said, looking down on her fiancé. He was beautiful; even more beautiful than he'd been when he'd led the Academy. He'd carried the weight of the whole world on his shoulders back then, and his eyes had been haunted by stress and lack of sleep. He still had problems sleeping sometimes – and so did she, for that matter – but now they had each other. Together, they could chase away the nightmares.

Lightning leaned down and pressed her lips against his. Hope smiled before answering the kiss, his arms tightening around her. She sighed, savoring the waves of emotions rushing through her body. Six months ago, she hadn't thought she'd ever get to experience emotions like that again. _But here I am_, she thought, clasping the fabric of Hope's shirt in her hands as he kissed her senseless under the stars.

_Here I am. _


	2. I do

Lightning took one last look in the mirror, making sure none of her stubborn pink locks had escaped from the complicated hairdo. Serah had braided it and pinned it to her head in a soft bun, and Lightning had to admit that it actually looked pretty good. She took a deep breath before leaving the dressing room, feeling slightly nauseous.

Hope, dressed in a black suit and a light blue tie, was waiting for her right outside the door. For a moment he just stared at her, mouth slightly ajar.

Lightning blushed. "I look weird, don't I?" she said, anxiously crossing her arms.

Hope blinked and shook his head. "No. No, no. Absolutely not," he said, giving her a warm smile. "You're perfect. You're better than perfect. I just… The dress – it's _that_ dress, isn't it? From back then?"

Lightning nodded. "It's the one from the performance in Yuusnan. Well, it's not exactly the same, but I tried my best to draw all the details I could remember on the sketch I gave the seamstress… Do you like it?"

Lightning did a quick twirl, the white fabric flowing around her legs. The dress she'd worn in Yuusnan had been magenta-colored, but white had been her obvious choice for the replica. Even though Lightning's sketch had been pretty bad, the seamstress had done a wonderful job. She'd even managed to recreate the intricate rose-looking folds where the bodice met the skirt.

"It's perfect. You're perfect. Everything's perfect," Hope said, practically glowing with happiness. He sighed, shaking his head. "I want to kiss you so badly right now."

Lightning smiled. "You're going to have to wait like, five minutes."

Music started playing behind the closed double door in front of them, the organist taking the first notes of Mendelsohn's famous march. Lightning swallowed hard. On the other side of the doors were all her friends and family, waiting for her and Hope to make their entrance. Lightning had never been more nervous in her whole life.

"What if I mess up?" she said, beginning to panic. "I'm wearing heels. I can't walk in heels. What if I trip? What if I-"

"You won't. You'll be absolutely perfect, and if you fall, I'll catch you. I promise," Hope said, holding out his arm. "Do you trust me?"

Lightning nodded, linking her arm with his just as the doors to the chapel opened up before them.

"I do."


	3. The Miqo'te Dress

"Why don't you sit down and relax for a while?" Hope said, his eyes never leaving the monitors above his desk. "I've already told you that time doesn't pass when you're up here. You should rest."

Lightning sighed and reluctantly sat down on the sofa in the corner of the Ark. She'd been saving souls for six full days, and even though her body no longer needed sleep to function, her mind still got tired. She leaned back against the backrest, and then quickly jumped back up on her feet after accidentally putting her weight on her tail.

"I hate this damn outfit," she muttered, taking great care of keeping the twitching tail out of her way as she sat down again. The tail kept moving back and forth as if it had a life of its own, refusing to stay curled up in her lap. Lightning sighed in annoyance. According to Hope, the outfit had once belonged to a miqo'te, but in Lightning's eyes it could just as well have belonged to an oversized cat. She unconsciously started scratching herself behind her ear. The places where the white fur connected with her normal skin were constantly itching, and she still wasn't used to having a tail. The magic abilities the outfit gave her were powerful enough for her to keep wearing it, but not powerful enough for her not to hate it.

Lightning closed her eyes. The sofa was unexpectedly comfortable, and the repetitive sound of Hope typing on his computer was strangely relaxing. She decided that taking a few minutes of rest wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Lightning had almost drifted off completely when the tapping sound from Hope's keyboard suddenly stopped.

"What's that sound?" he asked.

"What sound?"

"A humming sound. It's not coming from my computer… Light, are you the one causing it?"

"I don't think so, no."

Lightning could hear Hope leave his chair and approach her, but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. For the first time in ages, she actually felt relaxed.

"It's definitely coming from over here," he mumbled, stopping in front of her. "I don't understand what... no. No way." Hope's voice went from confusion to astonishment.

"What?" Lightning opened an eye to give Hope a skeptic glare. She could tell that Hope was trying his very best not to laugh, but he wasn't exactly succeeding.

"What?" she repeated, opening her other eye to intensify her glare.

"Light, you're purring. You're actually purring."

Lightning blinked, her tail twitching. She was just about to deny it when she realized that something inside her really was vibrating. She touched her throat, confirming that the buzzing sound really was coming from her larynx.

"Hope, how do I stop it?" She tried to swallow the sound, but her throat just wouldn't stop vibrating. "I don't know how to stop it!"

"This is priceless," Hope said, now laughing openly.

Lightning left the sofa, stomping towards the teleporter. "That's it, I'm never wearing this outfit again," she said, angry and embarrassed.

"Light, wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just so adorable," Hope said, taking a deep breath to calm down from the laughing fit. "Seriously, wait up. I have things I need to talk to you about before you leave."

Hope grabbed her arm to stop her. Lightning tried to tell him to let go, but all that came out of her mouth was a loud hiss. A very cat-like, loud hiss.

Hope stared at her for a moment before losing it again, tears of laughter escaping from his eyes. Lightning yanked her arm free from his grip and rushed to the teleporter.

"Never again," she growled, leaving the Ark and the still laughing Hope behind her. "Never, _ever _again.


	4. Lumina's Final Task

**A/N: I guess this is Hope/Light even though Light isn't technically in it. ShadowMeowth ( u/3491479/ShadowMeowth) asked me to write a bit of Hope/Lumina as an under-branch of Hope/Light, so I gave it a shot. **

* * *

Hope was alone.

He wasn't completely sure exactly where he was. He'd said goodbye to Lightning and then he'd disappeared, dissolving into thin air. The world had turned into darkness. That's where he was now; a dark, empty void between realities. _But I got to say goodbye, _he thought, trying hard to keep his intensifying feelings of panic at bay. _Even if I'm stuck in this nothingness forever, I at least got a chance to say goodbye. _

"Wow. It's a bit dark and gloomy in here, don't you think?"

Hope looked up, following the sound of the female voice. A girl surrounded by a shroud of light was slowly descending, illuminating the dark emptiness. She was dressed in a black dress and had her pink hair tied up in a ponytail on the side of her head.

"Serah? Is that you?" Hope asked when he noticed the familiar hairstyle.

"Nope," the girl said with a giggle, her feet connecting with the ground right in front of him. "Name's Lumina. It means 'brilliant lights' in Latin. Look it up."

"Who are you?" Hope looked at her in confusion and wonder. The girl was skinny, slightly shorter than him and probably in her early teens. He looked into her eyes and suddenly realized that he recognized her.

"You're Light," he said breathlessly. "A younger Light."

Lumina giggled again. "You're a lot smarter than the others, aren't you?" she said, neither confirming nor denying Hope's statement. "What led you to that conclusion?"

"The eyes," Hope said, reaching out a hand to stroke Lumina's messy bangs from her forehead. "I'd recognize those eyes anywhere."

The teasing smile on Lumina's lips faltered and faded away. "You don't have to be nice to me. I'm not her," she said. "I'm just the part of her she locked away when she suddenly decided to grow up. I'm the weaknesses she ignored, the emotions she suppressed. I'm the part she cut away from herself to become Lightning."

She looked down on the ground, her eyes – Lightning's eyes – filling up with tears. Before Hope could stop himself he'd wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest.

"What's wrong with you? I tell you I'm not her and this is how you react." Her voice had regained its teasing tone, but her body was still trembling.

"When I first heard about Light's childhood, I couldn't stop thinking about how I just wanted to meet her younger self, hold her, wrap a blanket around her and tell her that everything would be okay," Hope said, soothingly stroking the girl's back. "I don't have any blankets and I have no idea how things will turn out from here, but at least I can hold you. So that's what I'm doing."

Lumina snorted. "You really do have a god complex. You take yourself too seriously, you know that?" She took a step back, ending the embrace. "My time here is running out and I didn't come here to cuddle. I came to prepare you. She's fighting _him _now, and when she defeats him she's coming for you. You're going to have to make a choice. Make the right choice, and we'll meet again."

Lumina started floating upwards again, her feet no longer touching the ground.

"Wait!" Hope yelled after her. "What choice?"

"You'll see. She'll try to convince you to do the opposite thing, because that's how she is. Do the right thing, Hope. Please, save her. Save _us._"

Hope could no longer see the girl, only the light surrounding her. "I will. I promise. Whatever the choice is, I'll always choose her. I will save her."

Lumina giggled. "I know you will. You're a fool in love."

Hope shrugged and smiled, not confirming nor denying her statement either. "It was nice meeting you, Lumina."

"It was nice meeting you, too, Hope," Lumina said, her voice no louder than a whisper. "Thank you for the hug."

With those words she left him, taking her light with her. Hope was once again alone in the dark, empty void – but he was no longer afraid. He didn't know what awaited him or what choice he would have to make, but he was ready for it.

_I will save you, _he thought determinately. _Both of you. _


	5. The night Lightning sang

"What's wrong?" Hope asked, noticing the strange, slightly nervous look on Lightning's face. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

He was holding her tight in his arms, moving to the rhythm of the music. Neither of them was especially good at dancing, but it didn't matter. It was the night of their wedding, and everything was perfect. Lightning was looking more beautiful than ever in her white dress, but the hint of nervousness worried him.

"No, of course not," Lightning said with a smile. "Everything's perfect. I just promised myself I'd do this… thing."

"Okay," Hope said, feeling both relieved and curious. "What kind of thing?"

"I… You know how you always say you want to hear me sing?"

"Yeah?" Hope said, his smile widening. Serah had once told him that Lightning used to sing all the time when she was younger and that she actually had a beautiful voice. He'd tried to make her sing for him but she'd always refused.

Lightning swallowed hard and then leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You, rest inside my mind," she sang quietly, her lips close to his ear so only he would hear her. She continued to sing the lyrics of the song she'd picked out for their first dance. In that moment, Hope felt truly blessed.

When the song ended, Lightning pulled back a little, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Happy now? I'm not doing that again."

"Very happy," Hope said with a pleased sigh. "And you're definitely doing that again. Serah's right, your voice is wonderful."

Lightning frowned. "I'm not doing it again," she repeated.

"You just promised you'd spend the rest of your life with me. Which means I've got a long, _long _time to convince you," Hope said with a teasing grin. "Still not having second thoughts?"

"Shut up," Lightning muttered, unable to stop a smile from reaching her lips. It had been a long journey for both of them, but they had finally reached their destination. They were together and they were finally happy.


	6. Fireworks

"Does anyone want more hot chocolate?" Serah said, putting down her camera in her lap before pulling out a thermos from her bag. "I know it's a bit colder than we expected but it will be worth it, I promise."

"Of course it will," Snow said with a grin. "It will be just like back in Bodhum." He wrapped his arm around Serah's slim shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.

The whole gang had gathered outside Snow's and Serah's house to watch fireworks. Serah had come up with the idea to recreate Bodhum's fireworks festival from the old world to celebrate the six months anniversary of joining the new world. Back on Cocoon, the climate had always been pleasantly warm thanks to the fal'Cies and the winters on Pulse had all been very mild. They had been in the new world for half a year, but the gang was still a bit unused to the whole concept of "cold".

"Bodhum was never this cold," Lightning muttered, crossing her arms. She was wearing her usual white shirt and chinos, too stubborn to admit her outfit was more suited for summer than late autumn.

Hope immediately removed his jacket and draped it over Lightning's shoulders. "Don't," he said before Lightning could protest. "Unlike a certain stubborn ex-soldier I know, I actually dressed for the weather and put on an extra sweater. Take the jacket. I get cold just by looking at you."

Lightning gave him a halfhearted glare before putting on the jacket properly. She was still shivering a little so Hope decided to pull her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her to share his body heat. Lightning's eyes widened in surprise and for a moment Hope thought she'd punch him. Then, he could feel her body relax as she accepted his gesture.

"Thanks," she mumbled. She'd fixed her gaze on the ground, her cheeks turning pink. Hope decided that it was probably just from the cold. The other alternative was simply too unlikely.

"Any minute now," Serah said, checking her wristwatch.

Vanille, sitting on a blanket next to Fang, giggled in anticipation. They'd all paired up when the blankets had been brought out; Serah and Snow, Fang and Vanille, Noel and Yeul, and Sazh and Dajh. This was how they always ended up. Hope didn't mind it at all since it meant he would always end up with Lightning.

Suddenly, the sky exploded with color. They all gasped in wonder, watching one firework after another light up the sky.

"This is amazing!" Noel said, laughing with astonishment.

"I wish Caius could have seen this," Yeul said, just as astonished. Hope realized that this was probably the first time they saw fireworks.

"This is really making me nostalgic," Lightning breathed, a wide smile on her lips. "I've missed this. The fireworks in Yuusnan were beautiful too but I couldn't fully appreciate them back then."

Hope could feel her body relax even more against his. She leaned closer, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. Hope flinched, not expecting the movement.

"I'm sorry," Lightning said, quickly pulling back. "I didn't mean to do that."

Their eyes met. Hope knew he should look away, but just couldn't bring himself to do it. He noticed he could see reflections of the fireworks in her eyes. She was even more beautiful than usual, something Hope hadn't thought was even possible. Her lips parted. Hope didn't know why, but Lightning wasn't looking away either.

Before Hope could stop himself he'd leaned closer and gently pressed his lips against hers. She gasped, but didn't pull away. He, on the other hand, quickly turned away, his face turning red._ I kissed Lightning Farron, _Hope thought, his heart pounding out of control in his chest. _I'm dead. She's going to kill me. I'm dead. _

When he dared to look at her again, he thought she'd be furious with him. She wasn't. Instead, she was blushing, smiling shyly. She was still sitting right next to him, allowing him to keep his arm around her. Hope smiled back, joy spreading through his chest. _That went better than expected, _he thought, turning his focus back to the fireworks. Lightning returned to her previous position, resting her head on his shoulder. They were both still blushing furiously, but they also shared a silly grin.

"Took them long enough," Fang commented with a grin. Vanille giggled, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

"I can't believe I caught it on camera," Serah squealed. "Guys, I caught it on camera! I caught their first kiss on camera!"

The gang all burst out laughing. After all, they'd all been waiting for this for a long, _long _time. If Hope and Lightning could hear them, they didn't show it, focusing on each other and the fireworks.

Serah sighed with happiness, moving closer to Snow. Everything was finally the way it should be. They were together, and they were all finally happy.


	7. Mother's Day

When Hope woke up that morning, he immediately knew something was wrong. It was early Sunday morning, and Lightning always woke up late on Sundays. There should have been a warm, sleeping body in his arms, but instead they were cold and empty.

"Light?" he called, looking around in confusion. He got out of bed and hurried out of the bedroom. "Light? Where are you?"

He found her in the kitchen, staring at the calendar on the wall. She had a troubled look on her face, a deep wrinkle between her eyebrows.

Hope walked up to her from behind and put his arms around her waist. "What's wrong?" he murmured, burrowing his nose in her hair.

"It's Mother's Day," she answered, leaning back against him.

Hope glanced at the calendar. "You're right," he affirmed. "What about it?"

Lightning sighed. "Nothing. Please, go back to bed. I… I need to be alone for a while."

"Are you sure?" Hope said, his arms instinctively tightening around her. Since the whole Bhunivelze episode, he really didn't like being apart from her. He'd never enjoyed being apart from her to begin with, but the god's interference had only strengthened his need.

"Yes. I know you were up late working last night. Go back to sleep." She turned around in his arms, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. "I'll be okay. I just need a little me-time."

Hope leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. After taking a deep breath through his nose he managed to let go of her, her scent giving him inner calm. She was right; he'd only slept four hours that night. Getting another hour or two of sleep would do him good.

"If there's something I can do, you'd tell me, right?" he said, still worried by the look on her face.

"Yes. I promise." Lightning gave him a small, unconvincing smile. Hope nodded and reluctantly left the kitchen. If she needed time to be on her own, he would give it to her. He didn't like it, but he would do it. He returned to the bedroom and went back to bed. It took him a while, but in the end he managed to go back to sleep.

Two hours later, Hope woke up again. His sleep had been restless, his worry never leaving his body. He still hadn't figured out the cause of Lightning's distress, but he hoped she was feeling better after her me-time.

Hope searched the apartment. The kitchen was empty, and so was the living room. At first he didn't want to believe Lightning had left home without leaving a note, but then he noticed that her shoes were no longer on the shelf in the hallway. _Where the hell is she?_ he thought, running his fingers through his silver hair. Lightning knew about his separation anxiety and would always leave a note before going anywhere. The fact that she'd been upset enough to forget something like that made Hope's worry even worse.

He returned to the kitchen to take a second look at the calendar Lightning had been staring at. _What's so special about Mother's Day? _he thought. They were both orphans and had been motherless for centuries. He'd never seen her being upset about it before._ What's so different about this year? _he wondered – and then, it hit him. _Lumina. _

Lightning had told him about what had went down in the sea of chaos before he'd pulled her up, that she'd reunited with the feelings she'd repressed for so long. In a way, this was her first motherless Mother's Day where she could allow herself to truly feel the loss. Hope left the apartment, knowing exactly where he'd find her.

"Hey," Hope said, sitting down next to Lightning on the bench in the memorial garden outside the local church. The garden was full of lit candles.

Lightning blinked, looking a bit confused. "I thought you went back to sleep," she said, her voice trembling. Her eyes were rimmed with red. She'd been crying, Hope realized.

"I did. I slept for two hours."

Lightning checked her wristwatch. "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. I thought I'd be back before you woke up."

"It's okay." He took her hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I understand."

Lightning nodded, new tears forming in her eyes. "I just came to think about my mother and then my chest started to hurt," she whispered. "I don't even have a grave to put flowers on anymore. I can't… I can't breathe. It's like there's something wrong with my lungs. I don't know what's happening to me. I can't… I can't…" Lightning began to hyperventilate, tears falling freely from her eyes. She pulled her hand free from Hope's grip to hold herself, her nails leaving angry, red crescent moons on her upper arms.

Hope got up from the bench and kneeled in front of her. He cupped her face in his head and tilted it up, coercing her to look at him. "It's a panic attack," he explained calmly. "It will be over in a minute or two. I promise."

"I don't get panic attacks," Lightning snapped, her whole body shivering.

"You do now. You pushed away your emotions when your mother died, and I think it's coming back now." He leaned his forehead against hers, his heart aching with her. "I had countless of panic attacks after my mother died, especially on Mother's Day. This is how you're supposed to react, Light."

"I don't like it," Lightning said. "It sucks." She was beginning to calm down, her breathing slowing down. The panic attack was ending, just like all panic attacks end.

"I know." Hope smiled, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "It's supposed to suck."

Lightning nodded. She was exhausted, Hope noticed, and he wasn't surprised. He always used to be exhausted after panic attacks, too. He got up from the ground and picked up his bag. On the way to the memorial garden he'd stopped to buy two grave candles and a lighter. He lit them both before handing one to Lightning. She took it in both hands, staring at its flame.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sorry for being such a mess."

Hope sat down next to her on the bench again, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I don't mind. I want to know every part of you – even the messy parts."

His words brought a faint smile to Lightning's lips. "That's so cheesy."

Hope shrugged. "It's true."

They sat in silence, watching their candles burn. After a while, Lightning put her head on Hope's shoulder.

"I miss my mom," she whispered, her voice surprisingly childish. Hope suspected it was the first time she ever uttered the words. He kissed the top of her head, pulling her even closer.

"I know," he sighed. "I miss my mom, too."

_Happy Mother's Day, mom, _he thought, looking up at the sky. _Wherever you are. _He could feel his own eyes tear up a little. Time might heal many wounds, but it could never erase the internal scar left from the loss of a mother.


	8. The rose-haired phantom

**Short little hoperai drabble inspired by the second part of Hope's story in the Reminiscence novel. I'd recommend reading this** **first. **

_She's not real, _Hope thought the first time he saw the rose-haired phantom. _She can't be real. _

She was always there, a flickering image in the corner of his eye. He knew the real Lightning was supposed to be trapped in Valhalla, but the phantom haunting him looked exactly like her. Even her voice was the same, whispering things to him night after night. The voice would echo through his mind during the day, turning his consciousness into a rose-colored mess. He knew he needed to focus on other things, to stop the chaos from infiltrating the world, but all he could think about was her. His colleagues were long gone, swallowed by the intruding darkness. The beautiful phantom with its rose-colored hair was all the company he had left.

Soon, he could no longer trust his memories. He was sure he'd held her once when they were both l'Cie, but the way the rose-haired phantom would press her lips against his skin during the night felt just as real. After a while, he could no longer separate reality from memories and illusions. She was everywhere; laughing, whispering things in his ear, touching him… He wanted her and her kisses to be real, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his whole life. _Maybe she's my reward, _he would sometimes think. _Maybe God returned her to me because I protected humanity. _It was delusional, he knew, but he wanted it to be true so badly he sometimes forgot Bhunivelze's real plan.

Deep inside, he knew the god was trying to break him, turning him into the perfect vessel – but the longer the phantom haunted him, the less he cared about the god's ulterior motive. She was finally with him, letting him hold her for the first time in centuries, letting him touch her in ways he'd only dreamed about. She wasn't real, but he still couldn't resist her. She was just a phantom, but he was still hers.

When the phantom appeared before him and asked him to come with her, all Hope could do was to follow her.


	9. Codependence

**For rainbowserenity. Happy birthday, queen of fluff.**

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Hope said, standing in the hallway with a hesitant look on his face.

Lightning smiled and handed him his suitcase. "I'll be fine, and so will you."

Hope was going on a conference in London for the weekend, which meant that he would have to stay at a hotel for two nights. It would be their first nights apart since they'd started to share a bed, and Lightning knew it was worrying him. When they'd first arrived in the new world, Hope had had a lot of terrifying nightmares about his years with Bhunivelze. Lightning wasn't sure how or why, but those nightmares seemed to be a lot less frequent if he got to fall asleep with her in his arms. Every night, he would roll over to her side of the bed and wrap both his arms and at least one leg around her. At first, Lightning had had some problems sleeping with another person so close to her, but she'd gotten used to it eventually. She still thought Hope's spooning habits made the bed a bit too warm and too crowded, but the relief it gave him made it worth it.

"If you need me, you'll call me, right?" Hope said, taking a reluctant step towards the door.

"Yes, I promise. It's just a weekend, Hope. We'll be fine."

Hope continued to look unconvinced. He took another step – but then he quickly turned around, approaching Lightning with determined strides. The suitcase tumbled to the floor as he cupped Lightning's face in his hands, tilted her head back and gave her a passionate kiss.

"I'll miss you," he murmured against her lips.

"I'll miss you, too," Lightning answered, slightly out of breath. "You have to go now, or you'll miss the plane."

"Uh-huh." Hope kissed her again. "Would that really be so bad?"

_Yes, would that really be so bad? _her subconscious asked. Lightning took a big step back before Hope's kisses could completely erase her power of will.

"Yes," she said. "It's just a weekend. You'll be home before you know it."

"I hope you're right," Hope sighed. "I love you."

Lightning smiled. "I love you too."

When Hope finally left, the apartment felt strangely empty. It was weird, especially since Hope usually left for work about the same time every morning. Lightning knew the apartment shouldn't feel emptier than usual just because Hope was on his way to another country, but it still did. _This is silly, _she thought. _He'll be home in just a few days. I won't have time to get lonely. _

During the day, she managed to convince herself she wasn't lonely without Hope. He kept sending silly snapchats with selfies and pictures of the hotel room, staying in contact with Lightning the whole time. It was almost like he was by her side. Almost.

Around midnight, Lightning went to bed. She crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. The bed was cool and wide, and the room was silent. In her old life, it would have been perfect – but now, she found herself twisting and turning, unable to sleep. _I can't believe I've gotten this codependent, _she thought, annoyed with herself.

At two a.m., Lightning received a text message. She picked up her phone from the bedside table, rubbing her eyes before looking at the display.

"_Are you sleeping?" _Hope's message said.

_"__No," _Lightning typed back.

_"__Turn on your laptop and place it on my pillow." _

Lightning frowned at the strange request, but did as he said. When she'd placed the laptop on the bed, she heard a strange, ringing sound. A window opened on the screen, saying "Hope Estheim calling". She pressed the answer button and Hope's face suddenly showed up on the screen. She could see his bed and parts of the hotel room in the background. Hope seemed to have placed his laptop in the exact same position as hers.

"Light!" Hope exclaimed, grinning widely. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can hear you," she answered. "I can see you, too. What is this?" She blushed, suddenly realizing that if she could see Hope, he could probably see her too. "Is there a camera in here?"

"It's called Skype. It's a computer program that lets you video chat with people. There's a camera right above the display on your laptop." He laughed softly. "You should really catch up with this world's technology, Light."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry for not being a nerd like you."

"I'm not a nerd," Hope said, trying his best to look offended and not really succeeding.

"You're a scientist on a conference about nanotechnology," Lightning scoffed. "You're the definition of a nerd."

Hope grinned. "You're really hurting my feelings."

Lightning smiled back, already starting to feel a bit better. Hope always had that effect on her.

"Why are you still up?" she asked him. "I'm sure you have to get up early tomorrow. You should be sleeping."

"Yeah…" Hope shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "It seems like I can't sleep without you anymore."

_This codependency can't be healthy, _Claire thought, but Hope's confession still warmed her heart.

"What about you?" Hope continued. "Why aren't you sleeping? I thought you'd be sleeping like a baby without me clinging to you."

"I thought so too, but, well…" She smiled, blushing faintly. "I couldn't sleep without you, either."

Hope laughed. "We're ridiculous."

"We really are," Lightning agreed. "Now tell me about your day."

They both lay down on their beds. Lightning closed her eyes, listening to Hope's voice. After a while, she had almost forgotten how far away he really was. She didn't really understand everything he talked about, but his excitement was enough to keep her listening. His voice made her body relax, and somewhere in the middle of the conversation, she finally fell asleep.

She woke up the next morning when Hope's alarm rang. She tried to give him a soft shove but ended up smacking her laptop instead. At first, she wondered why the hell her laptop was in her bed, but then a newly-awakened Hope showed up on the screen.

"I'm sorry, I should have ended the call before I fell asleep," he said, smiling apologetically into his laptop camera. "I just couldn't bring myself to hang up, so I left the video call on over the night. I wanted to hear you breathing. It almost felt like you were here, you know?"

Lightning smiled. "I know."

"I have to get dressed and have breakfast, but I'll be right back, okay?" Hope said before disappearing from the screen. "Just wait here."

Lightning waited, and Hope soon returned to the bed with a cup of coffee in his hand. "My seminar starts in ten minutes, so I guess I could talk to you for…" He checked his watch. "Well, eight minutes. Or maybe nine. Nine and a half, if I hurry."

They kept the video call going for the whole conference, with Hope disappearing from the screen for seminars and reappearing afterwards to tell her about them. Lightning had to take breaks from the conversation every once in a while too to do her usual weekend errands, but she always returned to the laptop sooner or later. Only when Hope had to board his plane back to Alsace did they end the call, but only because one of the stewards forced Hope to turn off his computer. A little over an hour later, Lightning picked him up on the airport. The moment he saw her, he ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lightning yelped when he lifted her up, and then started laughing when he spun her around in the air. Even though he'd only been gone for less than three days, she felt like it had been ages since she'd last seen him. She had to admit that Skype was a pretty neat invention, but it was nothing like being held in his arms.

"The next time I'm going to a conference, I'm taking you with me," Hope murmured in her ear.

Lightning snorted. "Don't even try to leave without me."

They were dangerously codependent, but Lightning didn't care. They belonged together, and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	10. Nightmares

Bhunivelze towers before her. The light he radiates is beautiful yet so incredibly _wrong. _It's not supposed to be there. _She's _not supposed to be there. She tries to unsheathe her sword but ends up empty handed. Her sword is gone, and so is her shield.

"Indeed, souls are invisible to god," Bhunivelze bellows in his frighteningly unhuman voice, cradling Hope's limp body in his talon-like hand. "But because I acknowledge this, I chose this lowly human to be my vessel. I returned this body to its innocent form, transcribed it, remolded it, trained it . . ." He slashes Hope's body over and over, shaking him, hurting him, _punishing _him.

_No, _she thinks, _don't hurt him, do whatever you want with me but don't hurt him, please don't hurt him. _

"From this unclean body of flesh and blood, I have created a vessel worthy of harboring a god," Bhunivelze continues. "Consider my love an honor. As a way to comprehend and sympathize with humans, I have descended to this pitiful state. I have become a merciful god for your kind."

_Please don't hurt him, _she wants to scream, but she can't make a sound. She can't move. She can't even turn her eyes away. When the god's hand crushes Hope's fragile body, all she can do is scream. She screams, and screams, and screams.

* * *

"Light? Light! Wake up!"

Lightning opened her eyes and found a worried Hope hovering over her. He'd put his hands on her shoulders and was shaking her lightly.

"It's just a nightmare," he said. "It's okay. He's not here."

She nodded, trying to get her breathing back under control. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and tears kept falling from her eyes. _It was just a dream, _she thought, trying to calm herself down. _Bhunivelze is gone. Hope is safe. It was just a dream. _

Lightning looked around. She was still lying in bed in their dimly lit bedroom, and everything looked exactly like it had before she went to sleep. Even though she knew that she was still in her new home and not stuck in Bhunivelze's strange dimension between worlds, the mind-numbing fear just wouldn't go away. Her body trembled as the memories flashed before her eyes again. The blinding light. The distorted voice. The helpless body, hanging right out of her reach.

"Hey, look at me," Hope said, pulling her back to reality. He cupped her face in his hand and tilted her head back. "Look at me, Light. I'm here, okay? I'm here."

Lightning looked up at him. His eyes were calm, confident and full of love. He was nothing like the fragile boy she kept seeing in her nightmares.

She placed her hands on his shoulders. His skin was warm, and his body was solid. He was there. He was real. A sob escaped her lips. _He's safe. _She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. _He's here. _She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. _He's safe. _

"Come here," Hope said softly. He lay down on his back, pulling her down on top of him. She curled up against him, letting out another sob. _He's safe. He's here. He's safe. _He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"It's okay," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm here."

After a couple of minutes in his arms, she managed to calm down. Her body stopped shivering, and she finally stopped crying.

"Don't ever leave me again," she whispered. "Promise me you'll never leave me again."

"I'll never leave you," he whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I promise."

Lightning could feel her body relax. _He's here, _she thought. _He's safe. _

With Hope's arms still wrapped around her body, she could finally go back to sleep.


	11. And so the world ends

"And so the world ends," Hope said.

Lightning nodded solemnly. "Game over."

They stood side by side in the Ark, watching as the planet below them went up in flames. Soon, those flames would reach the Ark, ending Hope's and Lightning's lives too. They'd done their best, but it hadn't been enough. Time was up, and the world was ending.

_Is Bhunivelze watching this? _Lightning wondered. _Is he still alive somewhere? _

Moments later, she got her answer. She felt a weird, somewhat familiar sensation in her chest that soon spread all over her body. Her vision blurred, and she could feel something wet roll down her cheeks. As the sensation continued, she began to recognize its components. Fear. Sadness. Loss. Shame. The emotions washed over her with a frightening intensity. During her days in Nova Chrysalia, all she'd felt was numbness. Now, all those repressed emotions were returning all at once. Bhunivelze were no longer in control of her. She was free.

"He's gone," she said out loud to her companion. "I think… I think he's dead."

"I think so too," Hope said in a voice that was way deeper than it should have been.

Lightning turned around to face him and found that the boy standing next to her was no longer a boy. Instead, she was looking at a young, handsome man in an Academia uniform. Hope was back in his real body again. She took a step closer to him. It was the first time she got to see him as an adult in person. She'd watched over him from Valhalla, but she'd never really thought about the fact that he'd actually outgrown her by a couple of inches. It was strange, but she decided that it was a good kind of strange. Being around someone who looked like a kid but behaved like an adult had been pretty disconcerting. This body suited him better. _Too bad he won't get to keep it, _she thought, a pang of anxiety piercing her chest. They would both die soon, and she had to admit that it scared her.

"What's going to happen to us?" she asked him, her voice trembling. "Etro is dead, and now Bhunivelze is too. Is it even possible for us to be reincarnated when there's no new world to be reincarnated in? What's going to happen to all the souls we saved?"

Hope glanced at Yggdrasil and the unfinished world growing on its stem. "I honestly don't know."

They stood in silent for a moment, watching as the flames from the burning planet got closer and closer to their artificial moon. The Ark had begun to shake, and the screens hanging over Hope's desk had all turned blank.

"I'm sorry," Lightning said in a low voice.

"It's not your fault," Hope immediately replied. "You did your best. There just wasn't enough time."

"That's not what I meant." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you, all those years ago. I'm sorry for abandoning you."

He gave her a melancholic smile. "You don't have to apologize. Not a day went by where I didn't miss you, but I never blamed you for leaving me. You only did what had to be done." He took her hand in his. "You know, right? That I've always… You know?"

Lightning looked at their joined hands. His hands were so much bigger than they used to be, and they seemed to fit perfectly together with hers. She glanced up at him, studying his face. His features were sharper and more mature now, but he was still Hope. Her Hope. His eyes were full of honesty and desperation. In that moment, Lightning felt like she could truly read his thoughts.

"I know," she said. "Of course I know."

He sighed in relief. "Good. The world is ending, and I just… I just had to make sure you knew."

He cupped her face in his hand, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch. She wasn't sure why she did it, but it felt right.

"I can't believe I'm losing you again," he murmured. "I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again." His eyes roamed over her face until they fixed on her lips. He swallowed hard.

"Hey, Light… Can I...?"

She smiled at him, her eyes filling up with tears again. "Yes."

He tilted her head back and kissed her softly on the lips. When he tried to pull back, Lightning tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him back down. She wasn't sure why she did that either, but it felt right, too. Hope wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"I love you," he whispered between kisses. "I love you. I've always loved you. I love you."

Before Lightning could say it back, the Ark had already exploded.


End file.
